Shimei looks around, glances at Norn, and jerks his head back the way they've come. After opening up a little distance from the boar, he whispers, "A boar we can deal with later. Don't tell Erizi. He will want to kill and eat it now."
Perception
Shimei will suggest we three return to the others, but that we check the stable on the way to see what Norn heard.
Norn nods and begins to double back towards the stable.
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Reaching the stable, Norn and Shimei both hear a slight mumbled murmur from somewhere inside as they get close. It sounds aimless and is quickly followed by a quiet snore.
Looking inside, the pair can see two or three heaps of dung and dried straw or corn stalks all mixed together, bedding. The sounds seem to come from the far side of the middle pile near a front wall with a couple of missing bricks.
Erizi standing back 30' and watching the two work, begins to tap his foot in impatience. If you look at him you can see he's about to do something...anything...and soon.
Norn quietly tiptoes over to the source of the snoring.
Stealth
For a split second Norn almost shouts out but manages to catch herself before she does doubling back to the others she reports to the others obviously seeming much happier than before she went in.
"Okay guys the thing snoring in there isent a Gnoll its a man I know called Feliped he was in the group me and Livvy were in. Now I think we should bring him with us but the problem is he's asleep and I dont want to do anything that will suprise him and accidently give away our position. So any suggestions?"
For a split second Norn almost shouts out but manages to catch herself before she does doubling back to the others she reports to the others obviously seeming much happier than before she went in.
"Okay guys the thing snoring in there isent a Gnoll its a man I know called Feliped he was in the group me and Livvy were in. Now I think we should bring him with us but the problem is he's asleep and I dont want to do anything that will suprise him and accidently give away our position. So any suggestions?"
"I could knock him unconscious". Erizi volunteers with a big smile. "Then I'd carry him out for you".
Norn pauses for a moment a mental image of Erizi trying to knock feliped unconcious and instead smooshing him running through her mind. "Uh maybe something a little gentler?" She suggests
"A man, here? What do you know of him? Could he be an agent of the gnolls?"
If Norn reports well of this Feliped, then we go in and cover his mouth while Norn is in front of him. Let him wake up while she shushes him. That should keep him quiet.
"Agent of the Gnolls? No not a chance."
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Norn
The man's wide eye's pop open and he struggles briefly under Shimei's hand, grabbing his wrist with two dung covered hands. "MMMmmmm Mmmm!"
Then he sees Norn and slumps back in the heap.
Shimei takes his hand away and whispers, "We are here to help. Can you move?"
FW is he bound at all?
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"Norn! What happened to you and Livvy? We were taken by those gnolls and they were pretty angry when you escaped. They promised all kinds of torture for that. Then we were attacked by another tribe and taken here. I managed to escape when there was some kind of kerfuffle when a big pig got free and then I've been hiding out all day looking for equipment and a way to save the rest. They were taken to the battle market because one was brought out and taken to the pesh fields. He never came back to Cailen knows what happened to him..."
He briefly stops to look at Shimei, "no, I'm not fixed to this heap of dung, just hiding. Feliped's the name, knowledge and fine dining is the game, especially with a song and good music for the digestion. Who are you....two?"
"That's Shimiel the other one is Erizi and this is really not the best place for having introductions."
"Livvy is with the others. In fact now may be a good time to head back and meet up with them."
"Yes, we should rejoin the others. Then Feliped can tell us all he knows about this place."
If Feliped is unarmed Shimei will give him his axe.
"Hi", nods at the newcomer. Then a giant smile crosses his face as he digests the mans words.
"Fine dining...did you say". "Finally someone else whom has his priorities straight". "There is a mighty fine hog just over there...I say we go kill it and drag it back to the camp for a fine dining experience...though I hope you have come cooking skill as well". "Everything Shemei cooks taste the same...baboon...snake..." "Come on". "Let's go slaughter it". And Erizi starts towards the room with the hog sleeping".
"I can sneak up on it and kill it before it even awakens", he calls back over his shoulder.
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Feliped takes the axe and thumbs its blade, "certainly better than the rusty dagger I found under the dung. Thank you Shimei, you sir are a gentleman, if not a cook, from what friend Erizi tells me. Perhaps I can swop a little of my epicurean talents for some of your skill with bow and axe. Tis settled then!"
"You wish to take down that boar nearby. I should warn you of two flies in that particular brand of ointment. One, is the number of gnolls that it took to corral the beast before and the secondary consideration is that the night patrol starts soon?"
"Erizi, let us save the boar for when the gnolls are dead. Then we will have a feast. I have trail rations for now."
"Erizi, let us save the boar for when the gnolls are dead. Then we will have a feast. I have trail rations for now."
Erizi stops in his tracks. "Well I suppose I could wait a bit". "I couldn't very well carry a creature that size back by myself, and I don't want to share it with gnolls". "Very well...I will wait".
"Did you say you had some trail rations"?
"Yes." Shimei hands Erizi some very hard, very dry bread and cheese. Then he gives some to Feliped. "You look like you need some too."
Satisfied no one can have anything to complain about, he goes to the door and looks out to be sure the coast is clear. "Let's get back to the others."
Assuming the coast is clear Shimei will step out and head for the snake's lair.
Livvy, concentrating on watching for someone approaching down the middle of the street, almost misses as the others slip in around the corner and through the door, moving like ghosts.
In the dim light, it takes a moment for her to realize that more returned from the scout than had left - and one appears to be a ghost, indeed. From her perch above the floor, she begins, "Who have you . . . ?" before she recognizes the manner and posture, if not the attire, of the bardic Lion.
Barely containing her excitement, she climbs down partway before jumping and running over to him, relieved to see another survivor from their party. "Fel!!!" Quickly drawing back, she wrinkles her tiny nose and says, "You, um..., you don't smell..., you don't smell like you used to, Fel." Stepping back out of reach (and aroma), she asks, "The others? Have they gotten away, as well?"
Even in her excitement, she keeps her voice down to let the others sleep and to avoid giving away their position to the gnolls.
"The scouts have returned." Zaid crawls out of his hidng place.
If Livvy was on watch then Nombir is asleep.
Shimei waits for the resolution of this reunion of friends, before asking Feliped his questions. How many gnolls? What are their habits? Patrols? If there's human captives left, how many and where are they?
His final question is for the party. What do we do now?
"Kill all the gnolls, then eat...pork".
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"Twenty or thirty gnolls. There is a nasty leader with a curved trident and they mention the Chief, Kardswann. They patrol in fours and fives every few hours, they go out on patrol around the valley, I would surmise too. The rest of the Lions went into the battle market, but one is gone in the pesh fields to the north so that leaves two."
The bard takes his time to explain about the habits of the gnolls, bringing up details that are bestial and repulsive but of little use. He also talks about the people that recently arrived and entered the market, probably merchants and mercenaries.
With his exhaustion and efforts to concentrate and explain soon put him to sleep.
"There will be two or three patrols. I suggest we let this one pass and strike the next one. Then retreat into the mountains where we can watch the town and prepare our next attack."
"Remember, Undrella will have the gnolls in the Battle Market disabled at first light, so we should attack then."
"I have not forgotten. I merely prefer not to trust a foul siren to plan our battle. Even now she may be alerting them to our presence."
"Well if she had wanted to stab us in the back she has had plenty of time to do it."
"No doubt she fears to face us alone. Bravery comes easier behind allies."
"We don't seem to be up to out necks in Gnolls looking for us so I think we can assume she hasn't sold us down the river." Norn looks around to emphasise the point
"I am inclined to trust her at this point."
"I am inclined to trust her at this point."
"We do not have to decide to trust her or not". "If we are supposed to be there at first light, who is to say we do not go there earlier...at least the stealthy among us, to see if she is telling the truth". "If it is a trap we can make other plans...If it is not we attack".
"Or we could set up our own ambush along the way, and if they are not disabled as promised we could have them chase us into a trap". "I can run fast and am a little sneaky". "I don't mind doing this thing".
"If we do this thing, Erizi speaks wisely. We should go before they expect us, like the owl we should spy them out before the dawn."
Livvy listens to the suggestions and nods enthusiastically at this last, "That makes the most sense to me, too."
Livvy listens to the suggestions and nods enthusiastically at this last, "That makes the most sense to me, too."
Waiting for the others, Shimei ducks his head and raises his hand to cover a gaping yawn.